A man who keeps his promises must have good character.
He would accompany her to Xiangjiang, right? Of course he would!
When the time came, she could give him a little extra money, pave the way for him in Xiangjiang. The city was developing well—much better than staying behind to farm.
The main road was pitch black. Gu Zhaoye’s figure had long disappeared, but Shen Li didn’t immediately go back inside.
She stood there, staring in that direction for a long while.
She remembered the thing that had been slipped into her hand. Opening her palm, she saw two large White Rabbit milk candies.
Gu Zhaoye wasn’t treating her like a child, was he?
Shen Li tore open the wrapper and tasted one. Rich, milky sweetness—it lifted her mood instantly.
She went back inside to nap a little more. When she woke, it was eight o’clock.
Breakfast finished, she left home promptly at 8:30.
Outside the door stood four burly men.
One of them was the rickshaw man Shen Li had met before; he introduced himself as Wang.
“Everything ready?” she asked.
Wang Guoqing raised his hand and, together with the three others, replied loudly, “All ready.”
The voice was strong and clear—Shen Li was pleased.
Yesterday, Wang Guoqing had come asking to give Shen Li money. She refused, explaining it was awkward to accept the boxes. So she had let them come and lend a hand.
Shen Li went to the Public Security Bureau first to collect Shen Ming’s commendation certificate. To be safe, she stored the certificate back in her space.
“Back home, I’ll wash up with some pomelo leaves to ward off bad luck,” Shen Li murmured.
“Let’s hurry, so no one sees us,” Shen Liren said. He wanted to get home quickly before being seen—he was very concerned about appearances.
“This is all thanks to me. Otherwise, how would we have gotten out?” Shen Man bragged again, trying to show off her abilities.
She wanted her parents to know she was more valuable than her brother.
Shen Liren knew his daughter was capable and coaxed her gently. “Yes, all thanks to Manman. But this money… it hurts to part with.”
This time, Shen Liren didn’t know how Shen Man had managed to connect with the deputy head of the Public Security Bureau. Some maneuvering, and Zhang Tiezhu changed his testimony—then died in the detention room.
Yet, the authorities still demanded money before releasing the entire family.
“Dad, it’s just three small yellowfish. We have more in Xiangjiang.”
Indeed, the assets going to Xiangjiang would arrive soon. That place was lucrative, plus another location.
Shen Liren hadn’t told anyone this. No one knew that besides taking the inheritance Shen Ming and his wife left for Shen Li, he had also taken something else from her.
He scolded Zhong Shuhua for a while: “Treat Manman better from now on. When we need help, Manman is the one who contributes.”
Of course, Shen Liren didn’t consider Shen Man equal in status to Shen Mingtang. He simply knew Shen Man held a grudge over Zhong Shuhua hitting her last time. He wanted to let her vent, so she wouldn’t take it out on Mingtang.
Shen Man was capable, and Shen Liren wanted to make full use of that.
Zhong Shuhua had been scolded and felt aggrieved. Seeing Shen Li smiling at the door, her anger boiled.
“Shen Li, you wretched girl! You sent your uncle, aunt, and younger sister—the ones who raised you for years—into the Public Security Bureau! You ruined our reputation! How can someone be so vicious?”
Zhong Shuhua’s tantrums were terrifying. She cried, wailing, “Heavens! All these years of good food and care wasted on ungrateful wolves!”
“Brother, sister-in-law, I’ve wronged you. I failed in teaching my daughter properly, and she turned out like this.”
When Shen Man saw Shen Li, the hatred in her eyes could no longer be hidden.
Shen Li had deliberately outwitted her, sending her to the Public Security Bureau. She wished Shen Li dead.
At that time, she had tried to drain all of Shen Li’s lifespan through the system, even willing to forgo the money in the bank.
But the system glitched.
It had claimed the draining was successful, but after a night, a bug appeared, and not all the lifespan could be taken.
After a night, she calmed down. Shen Li was her “blood bag”; she couldn’t die so quickly.
She needed Shen Li alive, so she could live in pain and suffering—Shen Man would grow more fortunate the more miserable Shen Li became. She couldn’t let Shen Li die easily.
“She couldn’t be that kind of person. She wouldn’t envy our family’s happiness just because she was an orphan. She deliberately found someone to slander us and sent us to the Public Security Bureau.”
Shen Man looked at Shen Li with smug pride. A book-transmigrator with a golden finger, holding the script in her hands—who could defeat her?
All she had to do was tell the deputy head of the Public Security Bureau how to solve a long-unsolved case and mention an upcoming campaign. Once he tasted the benefit, he would obey her in everything.
And the three small yellowfish? That was Shen Man’s own doing.
She wasn’t sure of her standing in her parents’ hearts and worried they would leave all assets to Shen Mingtang.
This time she realized she needed to secure some assets for herself.
Shen Liren came out playing the “good guy.” “Forget it. The Public Security Bureau has cleared us. The innocent need not fear.”
At this time, the bureau’s entrance would never be empty.
Shen Liren had already instructed Zhong Shuhua: if they ran into Shen Li on the way home, blame her for “scheming against elders.” That would ruin her reputation.
As long as Shen Li’s reputation suffered, and their family got released, everyone would blame her.
In this era, filial piety and reputation were highly valued.
Sending her uncle and aunt—who had raised her—into the Public Security Bureau was the cruelest act one could commit.
As expected, the citizens at the entrance shook their heads upon hearing this.
The people didn’t speak immediately—they had to see it with their own eyes. Reputation mattered.
“Uncle, aunt, how could you think that of me? If I were as you say, the officers would have arrested me long ago. They would have even put me on the struggle stage.”
“I’m also glad you’ve been released.”
“Had to come greet you myself.”
Shen Liren thought Shen Li was scared and trying to make amends.
It didn’t matter. He’d heard from Shen Man that Shen Li held a grudge against them, and he wouldn’t forgive her.
Anyway, he’d already sent her inheritance to Xiangjiang. Gu Xu at the bank would handle the rest—no need to coax Shen Li anymore.
“Realizing your mistake, but too late,” Zhong Shuhua and Shen Liren thought alike.
Shen Li smiled faintly. “My mistake?”
Zhong Shuhua pointed at her. “If you weren’t in the right, would you come to greet us?”
“Aunt, you claim you did nothing wrong, yet the officers still brought you into the bureau.”
Shen Man pretended to counsel: “Sister, don’t be angry with Mom. She raised you carefully all these years. You ruined her reputation, so she’s upset.”
Shen Li replied, “No anger needed. I’ve cleared your names.”
She clapped her hands. At the bureau’s entrance, drums and gongs sounded loudly.
“Shen Liren, penniless, entered his late brother’s household with his family under the pretext of raising his brother’s young daughter. Ten years without work, yet the best food and goods throughout. Bought bicycles and work for his son, expensive skincare for his daughter, even purchased property in Shangtan. When his niece was to marry, refused to return the dowry. They were sent to the bureau because a burglar broke in; the burglar accused Shen Liren’s family of instructing theft and harming the niece. The burglar committed suicide in the detention room, and the family was released. Shen Man, to join the Red Committee, stole her late cousin’s father’s certificate, pretending to be a martyr’s child. The committee issued a criticism report; interested comrades may review it.”
The four men shouted in unison, their voices booming. Everyone nearby could hear clearly, and even farther away.
Shen Li smiled faintly. “Uncle, don’t worry. Along the way, they’ll drum and announce your innocence.”
They would shout it all the way until everyone knew.
In any era, people loved to watch a spectacle.
Shen Liren had miscalculated—but in the dream, Shen Li had learned to strike first with public opinion.